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| Light and color have a dramatic impact on our daily experiences. This course will explore the physics of light and explain how its basic properties produce a diverse range of effects apparent in technology, nature and art. The course is concept driven, highly visual and requires a minimum of mathematics (high school algebra). Undergraduates who take this course are typically drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds (e.g. psychology, art history, art, photography, architecture, journalism) and inter-disciplinary discussions are encouraged. Where appropriate, guest lecturers will discuss recent advances/concepts in their subject, both emphasizing the variety offered by inter-disciplinary activities and also the direct relevance of light and color to our daily lives. Students will first be introduced to the fundamental concepts of light and shown how light belongs to a broader range of radiation known as the electromagnetic spectrum. This spectrum spans through gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, light, infra-red radiation, microwaves and radio waves. The manner in which these various forms of radiation interact with the world will be compared and contrasted. Drawing heavily on practical demonstrations, various optical devices will be described, leading to a detailed examination of cameras and photography. This is followed by a comparison with nature's equivalent of the camera - the human eye. This includes both an examination of how an image is produced by the eye?s optical system and also how the resulting image is then processed by the retina and brain, including examples of optical illusions. Finally, the various color theories will be introduced, explained and demonstrated. |
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